PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A recent FBI crackdown on child sex abuse offenders led to the arrest of 26-year-old Joseph A. Maile from Presque Isle. Maile is facing federal charges for attempting to sex traffic a child and for enticing a minor, as part of a nationwide operation targeting child predators.
The FBI’s Boston Division, which oversees the state of Maine, announced Maile’s arrest as part of “Operation Restore Justice,” a five-day initiative to identify and arrest suspected child sex offenders. According to the FBI, Maile, who is a registered sex offender, allegedly used social media platforms to offer minors money in exchange for engaging in sexual acts.
A federal criminal complaint outlines the charges against Maile, including attempted sex trafficking of a child under 14 and the enticement of a minor to participate in the production of child pornography. The criminal complaint notes that one of the minors involved was under 18 years old, while another was under the age of 14.
Maile’s arrest is part of a broader effort by the FBI to combat child exploitation. The operation, which included all 55 FBI field offices, led to the arrest of 205 people across the United States. In addition to Maile, seven individuals were arrested in the Boston area as part of the initiative, including five from Massachusetts and one man from New York who allegedly sent obscene material to an 11-year-old in Massachusetts.
The FBI’s efforts during the operation also resulted in the rescue of 115 minors across the country. The crackdown, which coincided with National Child Abuse Prevention Month, saw the FBI arrest 190 suspects for crimes related to child abuse and exploitation throughout April, with 26 individuals arrested by FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force.
